Slipping Away to Dragons
by SpitFire Kagome
Summary: Kagome slips away from her friends. Now she's back just long enough to help and she's brought a new friend.
1. Chapter 1

I've been slipping away and nobody knows. I see Inuyasha go to Kikyo every night and I slip away. I see Sango and Miroku grow closer with each passing day and I slip away. I see Shippo growing up into a strong independent young man and I slip away. I can't go home anymore. I have no home. I try, oh how I try to go home. But I grow restless quickly. So I slip away. Every night I leave to be myself and nobody knows. They don't notice how much stronger I grow. They need to feel like I still need them to protect me. So I let them. But every night I slip away. Every night I leave and find it harder and harder to return. Soon I don't think I will. But for now I return for they need me for just a little while longer.

The dawn was slowly awakening and not a soul stirred as a lone shadow slipped into the camp. Practice makes perfect. Nobody noticed as it made its way to a sleeping bag and quickly curled up as if it had never left. Slowly the camp's occupants began to stir to wakefulness. The hanyou returned from his nightly rondevouz. The monk and demon slayer began to untangle themselves from the nights cuddling. Nobody seemed to notice the dark circles under one companions eyes. No one seemed to notice the wild look still lingering. They just broke up camp and started the days journey without a word.

She hated the summer days. She hated the way the slightest movement just seemed to make her temp spike another notch. She only tolerated the summer days for the cool summer nights. Oh how she loved the summer nights. They just begged for her to run and enjoy the breeze as she listened to all the night creatures. "Oi wench snap out of your daydreaming and find some shards already". Squashing her irritation at the name calling the young priestess closed her eyes and concentrated her powers. "There's one just north of us. About a days journey as the crow flies". That was all the motivation the rest needed to pick up the pace.

"Inuyasha duck!" "Duck?! What are you screaming about a duck for woman?!" "No you idiot I mean move!" "Oi don't tell me what to do!" Growling in frustration Kagome just let the arrow fly towards the current demon they were battling hoping her companion would have enough sense to dodge out of the way. They had caught up to their prey sooner then they had hoped and immediatly wished they didn't have to deal with the ugly bugger. It seemed to be a boar demon on steroids that had gotten a few too many wacks to the face. Fortunatly it didn't take long to separate it from its prize. It seemed almost a disapointment. "Now what was all that shit about a duck?" The valley seemed to reverberate with sounds that seemed suspiciously like

That evening with the campfire dancing merrily in the pit, the group found themselves unwilling to depart on their nightly rituals. It seemed as if just one of them left then there was no guarantee of their return. Though this did not stop Kikyo from sending her summons. "You should go Inuyasha. She's probably wondering what's taking you so long." "Huh? Who what in the where now?" was his oh so cunning reply. "Brilliant. However could I have learned your secret with evasion tactics like that." "Eva what now?" "Just go. I'll see you in the morning." "What's your hurry for me to leave?" "Are you fishing for a reason to stay?" "Are you in such a hurry to get away from us?" Startled blue eyes were his only reply. "Yeah that's right. I've known about your walks for a while now." "Have you been spying on me?" "well somebody has to protect you." "Has to?! Has to?! Is that all I am to all of you? A burden to keep an eye on?" They say silence is the loudest. This one screamed with a thousand unsaid words. None of them could look her in the eyes. That was all the answer she needed. The shame they had shared was now hers to bare. "I see. I think I should leave now." Without another word she packed up her belongings and left. But not in the direction anyone expected. "Lady Kagome the well is in the other direction". "Oh I'm not going home. I broke the jewel so it is my duty to finish collecting it." "Don't be stupid wench. Don't get yourself killed just to prove something to us." "You flatter yourselves" Came the cold reply. "This has nothing to do with you traitors. I'm doing this for me. I want to know that if something like this happens again that I can look them in the eye with pride. Because I know what I'm capable of even if you don't. I'll return when the final battle has come at last. Until then I wish you luck on your journeys."


	2. What's Going on?

Eight days. Just eight days and it felt like forever. She had never felt so pathetic. What was she thinking? How could she have thought that she could possibly survive on her own? Damn. What was she going to do now? She couldn't go back. Not after the way she had left. No she would die before she would prove them right. Although at this rate that wasn't a so far off option. Hunting seemed to be beyond her skills and she wasn't even going to try and guess what plants were edible. Damn where was the damn monk when you needed free food? Ah well win some lose some, and then there's the idiots like her who stupidly went out of their way to try and get themselves killed. So absorbed in her musings to notice the very faint demonic essence in the air, her inner rant was soon broken by the piercing crack of a twig directly behind her. Whirling around to glimpse the source her eyes were only met by dancing shadows. "Who's there? Show yourselves or I'll turn you to ashes before you have the chance to even blink." "Such a welcome. Is that anyway to treat a gentleman caller? With manners like that its no wonder your friends chose the more refined version." came the mocking reply. "A gentleman doesn't hide in the shadows to sneak up on a lady". She replied defiantly refusing to let her fear be known. "Ah but who ever said you were a lady?" "Enough of this. Reveal yourself or did you come just to exchange banter?" "tsk tsk. And here I thought we were having a friendly little chat." "..." "::Sigh:: all right then." She couldn't suppress the gasp of surprise and fear that managed to escape from her lips as the intruder stepped from the concealment of the trees. "Naraku. Thinking of taking advantage of a perceived moment of weakness?" "You wound me little girl. I have only come to make an offer that I assure you will benefit us both greatly." He said placing a hand over his heart to emphasize his sincerity as he spoke. "Nothing you can propose would tempt me into joining you. No matter what has been done to me you will always be the greater of two evils." "Ah alas I'm afraid you are making a terrible mistake. With your powers and my intelligence we could shape this world into the paradise I have yearned for." "One man's paradise is another man's hell. You can take your illusions of grandeur and shove them where the sun don't shine" with these words of courage out of her system Kagome could finally focus on what she was really thinking :oh god oh god I'm going to die a horrible painful death and the worst part is those sons of bitches will have been right. Damn how do I get into these situations?: "your death wish is my command little girl. Too bad your hero in shining hair isn't here to save you like old times." Deciding the conversation was closed Naraku lunged expecting to decapitate with one pass. What he didn't expect was the dive bomb the fed up girl from the future took into his chest knocking him off balance and allowing her time to make a run for it. But alas even as she made a bid for freedom she knew it was in vain. There was no way she could possibly even think she could out run a demon for long. Especially one as powerful as the evil currently hot on her tail. Feeling a searing pain in her shoulder blade Kagome tripped and fell narrowly missing the tentacle aimed at her heart. Darting to her feet she tried to keep going with her plan of running away but the blow to her spine put that down the crapper. Forcefully rolling her onto her back Naraku leered down at her from his comfy seat of her stomach. "I almost feel pity for you. Not only are you fashioned after Kikyo but you're not even half as talented as she." With a growl of fury Kagome called to that place inside that housed her powers. Never had they answered as they were now. Flinging Naraku several yards into a tree Kagome stood ignoring the pain in her back and shoulder. Dazed for only a moment, Naraku studied the swirling energy around the young priestess. His eyes widening as he realized maybe he had chosen the wrong person at the wrong time to threaten. "I. Am. Not. Kikyo." she said through gritted teeth. Reveling in the way her powers danced across her skin Kagome had no idea her eyes had turned a demonic white. Knowing he better act quickly before things got even more out of hand Naraku gathered his own energy in preparation to attack. Two opposing forces of immense power. One blacker then the pits of hell. One whiter then the brightest light in the heavens. They both launched everything they had at the other. Meeting the energies seemed to push against one another for a moment before they merged and seemed to explode inwards. The last thing Kagome remembered before she blacked out was a great gaping hole in the air heading strait for her.


	3. Demons here!

"Hey Taro race you to the rocks and back!" "Your on Kin. Last one there has to clean the den for the next moon cycle." Shouts of laughter were heard as the children ran as fast as their legs would carry them each trying to out do the other. But alas it seemed that the larger of the two just had more of an advantage with his recent growth spurt. "No fair Kin your legs are longer." "Then run faster" was the smart reply tossed to the wind over a fleeing shoulder. "AAAAAAAAA what in the...? Kin come look at this I think its a dead body!" "Stupid why would there be a body here?" "I don't know. Maybe you killed her?" this retort was only met with a glare as if to say that was so stupid I'm not even going to answer. As the two young boys bent to closer inspect the body a groan was faintly heard. "Holy crap its alive! Quick we have to get Quentin!"

Voices were the first thing to register in Kagome's fuddled brain. The fact they were unfamiliar took a minute more to reach fruition. ::Ok don't panic lets figure out if I'm dead first. Ow ow ow ow ok not dead back hurts too much. Next figure out if your with friendlies or baddies. Please be friendlies please be friendlies.:: Opening her eyes however turned out to be a big mistake as light lanced through her brain. The strange voices paused in their conversation as the groan registered to have come from the strange patient. "Excuse me but where am I?" "_I'm sorry miss but we can't understand you. What region are you from?_" "Eh? Crap you don't speak Japanese do you. Great just great like my life wasn't crappy enough before now I'm I don't know the hell where and can't understand a fricking word any of you are saying. My life sucks monkey nuts." Her rant was only met with confused glances. "_I don't recognize any word she just said. where do you think she's from Quinten?" "I don't know Selene. I don't recognize her appearance either. I don't think she's from anywhere we've ever known of before." "What do you suppose we should do with her?" "Only thing we can do. Make her comfortable."_ Deciding the matter as dealt with for now the strangers turned to Kagome only to find she had slipped into slumber again. "_Well that solves that problem for a little while at least. But geez she snores like a bear with a breathing problem._"

The next morning Kagome awoke to an empty room. Deciding that there was no time like the present to explore her surroundings a bit Kagome attempted to stand up. The key word being attempting because as soon as her feet touched the floor her legs buckled and down she went with a crash that brought a strange old woman bustling into the room. "_Oh my tried to stand up did you? Well maybe next time you'll take it a bit slower after being injured as bad as you were and then trying to walk around like nothing happened. I swear children these days always thinking their indestructible."_ The old woman was only met with a confused stare as her audience tried to follow along. Anything she was thinking of trying to communicate was lost though as she heard a great roar that had her scrambling for the door. "A demon here? Great and me without my weapons. Stupid stupid me. Think Kagome what can you use? Can I even use anything other then my arrows? Damn why have I never thought to try that before. What about that sword over there? Ok that'll have to do. I just hope I don't end up cutting my own leg off or something." Making her way down the hallway she finally located the door to the outside. Rushing into the blinding daylight she froze as her eyes adjusted revealing the source of the roar. A dragon. Instantly going into fight mode Kagome centered herself before gathering her powers into her hands. The dragon having finally sensed the growing threat to its person started backing away in fear. Kagome began to glow with the immense energy. Seconds before she could release it all though a young man leaped in between her and the dragon. "Get out of the way you fool you'll be killed" she shouted. "_Please don't hurt him. He's my partner_." Kagome may not have understood what the boy was saying but there was no mistaking the pleading in his voice. Not quite having a handle on her newfound souped up coolness she did the only thing she could think of to discharge it all. She feinted.

"Did you see how afraid of her Jargin's dragon was? I never thought I'd see the day a dragon backed down from a challenge." "I know and that's what worries me. She has so much power. If she turns out to be an outlaw then we will be in for one hell of a fight. That's why I think we should play it safe and eliminate her while she's still weak." The first voice Kagome recognized as coming from that Selene person and the second having been from Quinten. " How can you even suggest that? She's just a child. Maybe she has come here for a reason." Kagome was starting to like Selene the best out of the two. Finally Kagome came to a shocking revelation "I can understand you?"


End file.
